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SUBJECT:##Future of FLECS
FILE:#####cluster::[MP1Q.FLEALECOM]FLECS__FUTURE.RNO
AUTHOR:###M. Oothoudt
DATE:#####18-FEB-86
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	A new version of FLECS will become the default version of FLECS
for the cluster on March 10, 1985.  If you wish to use the new version
of FLECS before
the release date, define the following DCL symbol:
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$ FLE:==@MP01$DISK:[MP1Q.FLEALECOM.FLECS.TEST]FLE
.SKIP 1
This will override the system definition of FLE that points to the old
version of the code.
	The new version of FLECS:
.list
.le;Generates FORTRAN77 output code (eg. IF-THEN-ELSE) instead of
FORTRAN II code (IF-GOTO).  The execution speed of your programs will not
be influenced by this change.  If your code executes incorrectly after using
the new FLECS and the FLECS source code seems to be correct, you may need
to see if the generated FORTRAN code is correct.  (The new FLECS has been
extensively tested on simple test modules and on HPL and TSU, so few if any
bugs should exist.)
.le;The program no longer puts out the message
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*****WARN--INPUT FORCED OUTPUT CONTINUATION LINE
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Instead it truncates any in-line comment on the line.  (The in-line comment
might cause the error that FLECS was warning you of.)
.le;The following is a new FLECS control structure:
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#####DOWHILE (L)
.br
#####code
.br
#####ENDDO
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Here "L" is a logical expression and "code" is any set of legal FORTRAN
or FLECS statements.
The .FLL listing file shows this structure indented in the same way as
other FLECS structures.  Note that this control structure is a subset of the
VAX FORTRAN77 DOWHILE instruction.
.le;The following is a new FLECS control structure:
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#####DO v=e1,e2[,e3]
.br
#####code
.br
#####ENDDO
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Here "v=e1,e2[,e3]" is normal loop control informaion
and "code" is any set of legal FORTRAN or FLECS statements.
Note that there is no statement label and there are no parentheses.
The .FLL listing file shows this structure indented in the same way as
other FLECS structures.  Note that this control structure is a subset of the
VAX FORTRAN77 DO instruction.
.le;The following is a new FLECS control structure:
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#####IF (L) THEN
.br
#####code
.br
#####ELSE IF (L1) THEN
.BR
#####code
.BR
#####ELSE
.BR
#####code
.br
#####ENDIF
.skip 1
Here "L" and "L1" are logical expressions
and "code" is any set of legal FORTRAN or FLECS statements.
The .FLL listing file shows this structure indented in the same way as
other FLECS structures.
.els
	The last three items in the list may seem strange, since they are
standard DEC VAX FORTRAN77 and FLECS has equivalent statements.  The reason
for their inclusion is that MP-1 wants to eliminate FLECS
within the next couple of years.
Current DEC VAX FORTRAN77 completely supports equivalents of all
the FLECS statements except internal procedures and .PASSIF/.PASSUNLESS.
Rather than make a sudden change, we are making a gradual change in FLECS.
New code should be written with DOWHILE, DO/ENDDO, IF-THEN-ELSE rather than
WHILE, WHEN/ELSE, etc.
	At some future date (which we will announce well
in advance), we will supply a program to convert sources with WHEN/ELSE, etc.
into standard FORTRAN77.  A new version of FLECS will then be used which only
translates internal procedures and .PASSIF/.PASSUNLESS.  An output formatting
program will be provided for the FORTRAN77 statements plus internal
procedures.  When FORTRAN88
comes out, FLECS may disappear entirely.
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.literal
					Mike O.
.end literal